From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
From: Christopher Allan Webber <cwebber@dustycloud.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/4] emacs: Add 'guix-devel-download-package-source'.
Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2015 09:43:29 -0500
Message-ID: <87fv1ls9lc.fsf@dustycloud.org>
References: <1443791046-1015-1-git-send-email-alezost@gmail.com>
	<1443791046-1015-3-git-send-email-alezost@gmail.com>
	<87d1wvadw2.fsf@gnu.org> <87bnceah2e.fsf@gmail.com>
	<87r3la6077.fsf@gnu.org> <87eghalc7s.fsf@gmail.com>
	<87wpv1tils.fsf@gnu.org> <87a8rwf2vl.fsf@gmail.com>
	<87mvvu6f5y.fsf@gnu.org> <87si5mbnfr.fsf@gmail.com>
	<87k2qy1gah.fsf@gnu.org> <87d1wpfvmv.fsf@gmail.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Return-path: <guix-devel-bounces+gcggd-guix-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org>
Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:40653)
	by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71)
	(envelope-from <cwebber@dustycloud.org>) id 1ZkCRI-000652-En
	for guix-devel@gnu.org; Thu, 08 Oct 2015 10:45:06 -0400
Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71)
	(envelope-from <cwebber@dustycloud.org>) id 1ZkCRH-000407-KW
	for guix-devel@gnu.org; Thu, 08 Oct 2015 10:45:00 -0400
In-reply-to: <87d1wpfvmv.fsf@gmail.com>
List-Id: "Development of GNU Guix and the GNU System distribution."
	<guix-devel.gnu.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/options/guix-devel>,
	<mailto:guix-devel-request@gnu.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel>
List-Post: <mailto:guix-devel@gnu.org>
List-Help: <mailto:guix-devel-request@gnu.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/guix-devel>,
	<mailto:guix-devel-request@gnu.org?subject=subscribe>
Errors-To: guix-devel-bounces+gcggd-guix-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org
Sender: guix-devel-bounces+gcggd-guix-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org
To: Alex Kost <alezost@gmail.com>
Cc: guix-devel@gnu.org

Alex Kost writes:

> Ludovic Court=C3=A8s (2015-10-08 01:10 +0300) wrote:
>
> [...]
>>>>> for example "" (an empty string).  Also I believe people begin to
>>>>> write a new package from some template, so you have a working skele=
ton
>>>>> of future package with all required fields from the very beginning.
>>>>> Then after filling an origin 'uri', you could "C-c . s" to download
>>>>> the source and get its hash.
>>>>
>>>> Hmm.  I=E2=80=99m skeptical.  :-)
>>>
>>> Sorry, I didn't get it.  Skeptical that people start from a template?
>>
>> Yes, it feels weird to me, the idea that an <origin> object with bogus
>> values would be created just for the sake of satisfying the download
>> tool.
>
> Hm, I have an opposite opinion: for me it is weird to write a package
> from scratch.  I usually start from a package template that has all
> required fields (including <origin>) or even I just copy an existing
> package and then modify the fields I need.
>
> I wonder, do you start to write a package from scratch?

I think helpers to get people started are useful.  I cannot remember
fields from memory, not just in Guix, but in pretty much all code.  Thus
I ususally look at other code examples to remember how things work.
Sometimes I set up yasnippet expansion templates in emacs.

So, just a vote for: helpers are helpful!